


I Can't Sleep Unless It's Next to You

by kakimashitaMOVED



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Blood, Gore, M/M, Nightmares, Prompt Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-04
Updated: 2014-01-04
Packaged: 2018-01-07 10:17:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,621
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1118725
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kakimashitaMOVED/pseuds/kakimashitaMOVED
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dirk wakes up from a recurring nightmare, and he's starting to hate himself for how it affects those around him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I Can't Sleep Unless It's Next to You

**Author's Note:**

> fanfiction month day 04 - dirk strider x jake english (homestuck)
> 
> prompt - nightmare
> 
> this was supposed to be a dmmd fic but i couldn't finish it today, so i'm uploading this one instead. i'm not really used to writing graphic/violent stuff but at least it's good practice. also jake is pretty out of character here so please forgive me, i haven't written homestuck in ages ouo;;;

_Your name is Dirk Strider, and is some top-quality scary shit happening right now._

_Somewhere in the back of your mind, you know this is a dream. But you can't seem to act on that thought at all - the only thing you can manage to focus on is the blood draining from your face, the cold sweat covering your skin as you try to decide whether to stay frozen in terror or run like your life depends on it._

_Your knees feel weak; you're certain you'll fall over if you don't move soon. A dark figure stands several paces away, turned away from you with its head in its hands, twitching slightly. Forcing your feet to move, you slowly approach the scene in front of you, hand outstretched and trembling. You somehow manage to find your voice, cracked and anxious as it resonates through your head._

_"J-Jake..."_

_You close your mouth quickly, licking your dry lips. The figure, Jake, stiffens when he hears you, and if you weren't sure it was Jake before then you are when he turns around. Your eyes immediately flash to his white shirt - it's soaked through with blood, and you feel icy cold when it hits you that it's his blood. His fingers are knotted in his short black hair, tight enough to rip it out, and his glasses look like they're cracked and bent on his nose. It breaks your heart, especially when he lets out a ragged, choked-sounding gasp._

_"Dirk, help-"_

_His voice cuts off suddenly, and he doubles over in a fit of coughs. You want to go to him hold him in your arms and soothe him, but you can't make your limbs move, even twitch just a little. You can only watch on in fright as Jake lifts his hand to his mouth with one last, heaving cough, and when he pulls it away from his lips both it and his chin are covered in thick, dark blood._

_You want to scream so badly your throat feels like it's burning, but no sound will come out. Jake staggers forwards; one of his knees gives out and falls to the ground with a cracking sound that makes your stomach flip. You can hear him breathing, gasping for air, and you force yourself forward; you have to go to him, help him._

_Collapsing on your own knees in front of him you reach out to touch his cheeks with your shaking fingers. His skin is cold and wet beneath your touch, and it makes you want to jerk your hands back but you're too terrified to even think about it. Your eyes meet his directly for the first time, and his lips twitch up into something akin to a smile - but you can't call it that, what with the way he quivers violently, eyes wide in shock. You involuntarily tighten your grasp on his face, swallowing hard._

_And in that moment Jake's body falls to the ground, leaving his neatly decapitated head in your_ _hands._

You wake up shaking violently, covered in sweat and vision dyed red. It takes a moment for you to register where you are, but once you do you manage to slowly calm down, stilling your body and breathing deeply. When the red finally drains from your vision you steal a quick glance to your side where Jake is sleeping peacefully, mouth hanging slightly open and limbs twisted awkwardly in the bed sheets. Before you can stop yourself you're reaching up to grasp his shoulder gently and his eyes shoot open, sitting up with a startled yelp - you draw your hand back instantly, still shaken by the nightmare and easily startled.

"Christ, you scared me," Jake sighs after a moment, flopping back down onto the bed. When you don't move or respond, he cocks an eyebrow sleepily. "... Another nightmare?"

It's as if that gets the cogs in your head moving again. Your body relaxes a little and you turn you head away from him, quietly admitting, "... Yeah."

Jake hums in response, scooting a little closer to you in some sort of attempt to offer you comfort. Even at this distance you can just barely feel his warm, even breaths on your neck. Wetting your lips, you glance back over at him. "You were awake."

It's not a question, and you can see him grimace. "You were mumbling in your sleep again," he tells you, sounding unwilling. "It woke me up but I didn't want to disturb you. I mean, after last time..."

He trails off and avoids your gaze, and you know what he's getting at. The last time you had a nightmare he said you were screaming and wouldn't wake up, so he'd been trying to shake you into consciousness; even though it had worked you'd ended up tackling off the bed in a delirious state, leaving him with a sprained ankle and a dislocated shoulder. You'd apologised endlessly after that even though he insisted it was fine.

Jakes seems to notice your forlorn expression as you recall the event, quickly moving the conversation along. "Was it the same dream as usual?" he asks, and you nod absently. "Thought so. You have that look on your face."

The statement throws you for a second, and you meet his eyes with a confused feeling that shows on your face. Jake smiles back softly, sadly, and your heart leaps painfully. "Look, it's no problem at all, Dirk," he tells you, voice coated with as much sincerity as he can muster but you don't buy it. He moves closer, enough that he can bury his nose in the crook of your neck. "I keep telling you that I wouldn't stay overnight if I wasn't okay with this. Stop worrying about it."

Your reply is almost instant. "How am I supposed to stop worrying?" You snap at him. "They don't stop and there isn't anything I can do to keep them away at all, so what can I do except worry that one day I'll murder you in my sleep?"

Jake visibly recoils, sinking further into the mattress and frowning, and you wish you could take back your harsh words. Your concerns, however valid you think they might be, should probably be discussed a little more delicately than this. Surprisingly, Jake leans up and kisses your cheek lightly, slowly moving towards your lips and trailing feather-light kisses over your skin. You let your eyes slip shut when his lips touch against yours gently and your mouth opens reflexively, allowing him entrance.

It continues like that for a while, your tongues sliding together and the occasional groan slipping out from between your conjoined mouths, but just when you think it's going to go further Jake pulls away, rubbing the back of his hand over his slightly swollen lips. You can't help but scowl a little. "Now that you bring it up I don’t think I'd fancy being murdered while half-asleep in my underwear," he admits, and your scowl only deepens, "but it still doesn't matter." Pressing himself against your side and staring intently into your eyes, he continues, "Dirk, you could turn into The Hulk every night and break each bone in my body a million times, and I would still climb willingly into bed with you every single night."

Your heart thuds loudly against your ribcage and you silently wonder if he can hear it. Without consciously realising, your muscles begin to relax until you're leaning heavily again him, forehead resting in his scruffy black hair as his arms wind around your waist. "Only an idiot would climb into bed with The Hulk," you mutter, a small attempt to bring some humour back into your words.

"Oh don't get me wrong, climbing into bed with the actual Hulk is not a recommendable idea," Jake iterates in a matter-of-fact tone, and you scoff. "And anyway, if I were dating The Hulk then the story would be different. But I'm not; I'm dating you."

"Close enough," is all you mumble in response, and Jake knocks your forehead grumpily. "Ouch," you deadpan.

Jake snorts. “Just go back to sleep.” And with that he doesn’t say another word – his breathing quickly evens out and he’s out like a light.

You roll over awkwardly, trapped in his vicelike grip, until you’re turned towards him, stomach pressed against his. You rest your head lightly in the crook of his neck, tangle your legs in his and do your best to give in to the waves of unconsciousness you can feel beginning to wash over you, pull you away from reality. Here in Jake’s arms it comes a lot easier than usual, and you actually feel your body relax into his, enjoying the comforting warmth he radiates against you.

You let your mind wander for a moment before you drift off – You think of Jake, how he’s willingly sleeping wrapped around you when he knows what could happen. It makes you a little frustrated, to be honest. Why does he even want to be with you? You’re so much work to be with, you don’t think that _you_ would even bother sticking around you for this long. He must have phenomenal amounts of patience if he’s managed it up until now.

A yawn slips out of your mouth, and you close your eyes automatically, not bothering to open them again when it passes. Lazily, you press a few soft kisses against his jaw line (being careful not to wake him) before giving up with movement, finally succumbing to sleep.

You don’t have any more nightmares that night, and when you realise that the next morning you’re certain it was because you spent the night wrapped in Jake’s soothing embrace.

**Author's Note:**

> ((then they have sex in the morning ok done))


End file.
